The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 20 -

When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples. And after encouraging them, he said goodbye to them and left for Macedonia.

After traveling through that area and speaking many words of encouragement, he arrived in Greece,

where he stayed three months. And when the Jews formed a plot against him as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.

Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.

These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas.

And after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and five days later we rejoined them in Troas, where we stayed seven days.

Eutychus Revived at Troas

(2 Kings 4:18–37)

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Since Paul was ready to leave the next day, he talked to them and kept on speaking until midnight.

Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered.

And a certain young man named Eutychus, seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead.

But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!”

Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed.

And the people were greatly relieved to take the boy home alive.

From Troas to Miletus

We went on ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, where we were to take Paul aboard. He had arranged this because he was going there on foot.

And when he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.

Sailing on from there, we arrived the next day opposite Chios. The day after that we arrived at Samos, and on the following day we came to Miletus.

Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesians

From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.

When they came to him, he said, “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia.

I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews.

I did not shrink back from declaring anything that was helpful to you as I taught you publicly and from house to house,

testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me.

But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom will see my face again.

Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.

For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole will of God.

Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.

Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.

Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.

I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.

You yourselves know that these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions.

In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

When Paul had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.

They all wept openly as they embraced Paul and kissed him.

They were especially grieved by his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Footnotes

(a)20:4 Literally from Asia; Asia was a Roman province in what is now western Turkey; also in verses 16 and 18.

(b)20:6 Literally after the days of the Unleavened; see Exodus 12:14–20.

(d)20:16 That is, Shavuot, the late spring feast of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; it is also known as the Feast of Harvest (see Exodus 23:16) or the Feast of Weeks (see Exodus 34:22).

(e)20:21 ECM, TR, and Tischendorf; NA, SBL, NE, BYZ, and WH our Lord Jesus

(f)20:26 See Ezekiel 33:8–9.

(g)20:28 Tischendorf of the Lord; BYZ and GOC of the Lord and God

(h)20:28 Or with the blood of His own Son.

After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia.

When he had gone through those parts and had encouraged them with many words, he came into Greece.

When he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia.

These accompanied him as far as Asia: Sopater of Beroea, Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

But these had gone ahead, and were waiting for us at Troas.

We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas in five days, where we stayed seven days.

Eutychus Revived at Troas

(2 Kings 4:18–37)

On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day; and continued his speech until midnight.

There were many lights in the upper room where we were gathered together.

A certain young man named Eutychus sat in the window, weighed down with deep sleep. As Paul spoke still longer, being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third floor and was taken up dead.

Paul went down and fell upon him, and embracing him said, “Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.”

When he had gone up, had broken bread and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even until break of day, he departed.

They brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted.

From Troas to Miletus

But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there; for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land.

When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and came to Mitylene.

Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to Miletus.

For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesians

From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to himself the elders of the assembly.

When they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you all the time,

serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews;

how I didn’t shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house,

testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus.

Now, behold, I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there;

except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me.

But these things don’t count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God.

“Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching God’s Kingdom, will see my face no more.

Therefore I testify to you today that I am clean from the blood of all men,

for I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Take heed, therefore, to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood.

For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears.

Now, brothers, I entrust you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

I coveted no one’s silver, gold, or clothing.

You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities, and those who were with me.

In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

When he had spoken these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

They all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,

sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Footnotes

(a)20:8 TR reads “they” instead of “we”

(b)20:21 TR adds “Christ”

(d)20:32 The word for “brothers” here and where the context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”